Toy submarine



F`. sABlNl 2,452,495

TOY SUBMARINE Oct. 26, 1948.

Filed Aug. 25, 1946 22 JNVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 26, 1948 UNITED 1S 'LATES TY SUBMRINE Frederick Sabni, Salem, N. J

Application August 23, 194'6, 'Serial No. 692,444

' (ci. fis-94) 5'Claims. y1

'Thisinvention relates toiimprovem'ents in toys; and the invention has reference, more lparticularl-y, to improvements applicable to toy submarines of the types disclosed in my copendingap-k plications for Letters Patent SerfNo. 506,305 led October 15, 1943, and Ser. No. 674,165f1'i1ed June 4, 1946.

The invention has `for an object to pro-vide, vin combination with a toy submarine construction of the seli-submerging type, means to vautomatically lrelease the toy Aupon completion of a fuil submerging dive, so that kthe same "will rise through the water in which it .has submerged and thus return to the water surface.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in connection with the bottom of the hull `of the submarine toy, 'a .releaseable 'ballasting weight having `means to .Contact 'the `bottom surface which underlies the water kin which the toy 'is operated whereby to `move said .weightto released position.

iAnother object ofthe .invention is to provide,.in

connection with the bottom .of the hull oi 'the submarine toy, a releaseably ,'ballasting weight and means 'for .supporting the same for carriage by said hull; said ballasting 'weight being iselectively'shiitableto diierent supported positions, whereby to control the .character of :the submerging movement of the toy, so 'that 'the latter may be optionally vcaused to .submerge vin 'an oblique nose dive or ,to submerge while maintaining a substantially horizontal or level keel position.

Other objectsof ,thisinventiom not zat 'this time more particularly enumerated,'will be understood from the following detailed description of the same.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown 'in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a lside elevational View lof a self-submerging toy submarine equipped with :the novel releasa'blelballasting `weight according to this :invention, `showing `said weight as Yoperatively supported in connection with ythe hull Lbottom, Ewhile the toy submarine is afloat upon the water; Fig. 2 is `a vertical cross-sectional view, taken on line 2 2 in Fig. l; Fig. Slis a -view similar 'to that :of Fig I2, but showing the vballasting 'weight in released relation to the submerged toy submarine (shown vby broken lines), the risen toy submarine, as returned to the surface of the water, being `shown byiull lines; fan-d 'Fig l4 is va fragmentary horizontal sectional view, taken through the :horizontal plane vof the `line 't-t inlFig. 2. i

ina'uter disclosed.

ATENT QFFICE illustration, .as Aapplied yto the hull of a toy submarine of the self-propelled and self-submerging type, such as disclosed in my co-pending application Ser. No. 674,165, nled June 4, i946, but it will be obvious that said features are equally applicable to the :simple self-submereing type of toy-submarine disclosed `in my vcci-pending application Ser. No. 506,305, iiled October 215, 1943, rnow Patent .Number 2,405,715, aswell as to other forms .of submersible toys.

As illustratively shown, the toy submarine comprises a hollow body yor hull -formed by a bottom `portion til, side portions l l Aand top or deck portion 2; said body or hull being suitably shaped 'to @simulate the appearance ci a submarine. Said body Aor hull may be made oi any suitable material, such e. g. as sheet metal, plastic imateria'l, wood, etc. dolned-to Yand A'rising trom .the 'top 1ordeck ,portion ft2 of the :hull is hollowbodyextension |13, whiohmaybe suitably shapedfto eimulatevthe conningitower of asubmarine. 'Said .hollow body extension lf3 is open at its bottom so as rto rcommunicate with the interior 'of 'the ihull, :and 'its interior `provides an air-trapping .chamber 'llt for ypurposes herethrtending` perpendicularly through the interior fof the air trapping chamber 1'4 yand thence; through 'the top loi 'the body extension t3., fso as :to 'project rexteriorly from they latter liin '.upstanding Vrelation thereto is la tubular iperiscope :simulating member "i5, which is :adapted to 'provide san'iendwse openair vent passage IE6, :the flower v:end oi which terminates at -.the:approximate "bottom ylevel oi lsaid air trapping -..chamber 'M 'Indenting ithe bottom till 1of the hull body is a longitudinally extending., downwardly and outwardlyfopen ballast A:weight housing chamber di). Receivable .fin said housing `cnambt-:r to is an elongated ballasting `weight 2L which is oi 'less length lth'an fthe 'length nof said housing chamber, fsoas to` be vlong'itudinall'y shiitable therein to selectively iposition .the 4same `relative to the hull ifbody 'for purposes hereinafter lreferred to.

stantia'lly A'cyllirrzirical shape, but is cut away yat opposite sides to proVide-'iiat'lateral 'tacos and 243, 'thus reducing the lateral diameter or the weight L'as compared with 'its 'diameter 'at 'right 'angles thereto, wll'er eby the :lateral -diameter com stitutes the minor diameter and the diameter at right angles thereto the major diameter thereof.

Axed to the hull body bottom I0, so as to border one side of said weight housing chamber 20 and to depend from said bottom l0, is a supporting bracket comprising an attachment flange 24, which is suitably secured to the hull body bottom ID, an inwardly offset supporting flange 25 which underlies one side of the housing chamber 2B, said ange 25 terminating in an outwardly projecting horizontal foot-piece 26. Similarly, aiiixed to the hull body bottom lil, so as to border the opposite side of said weight housing chamber 20 and to depend from said bottom l0, is a second supporting bracket which is opposed to said rst mentioned supporting bracket. Said second supporting bracket also comprises an attachment flange 2l which is suitably secured to the hull body bottom IG, an inwardly offset supporting ange 28 which underlies said opposite side of the housing chamber 2i), said supporting flange 28 likewise terminating in an outwardly projecting horizontal foot-piece 29. Said supporting flanges 25 and 28 are spaced apart at their lower ends for a distance slightly in excess of the minor diameter of the ballasting weight, thus providing an escape or release passage 30 through which, when the major diameter of the weight is aligned therewith, said weight may pass out ci the housing chamber 20 to permit mutual separation of the hull body and weight. Extending from said ballasting weight, in angular relation to the major diameter thereof, is a lever arm 3l whichis operative, under proper conditions, to rotate the weight about its longitudinal axis, so asto bring its major diameter into alignment with the weight escape or release passage 30, with the lateral faces 22 and 23 of the weight parallel to the sides of said passage, whereby the weight is removed from the support of said supporting flanges 25 and 2B.

Said second supporting bracket is indented by lateral or transverse slots comprising a forward slot 32 and a rearward slot 33 which extend through the foot-piece 29 and thence upwardly through the supporting flange 28, Said slots are suitably spaced apart in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the housing chamber 20, subject to selective extension therethrough of the lever arm 3l, according toa selected forwardly disposed or rearwardly disposed position in which the ballasting weight is desired to be set.

To assemble the ballasting weight 2l in operative supported connection with the hull body, the weight is turned about its 'longitudinal axis so as to align its perpendicular major` diameter'with the passage 39 of the supporting bracket means, whereupon the weight may be passed upwardly through the latter and into the housing chamber 20, while at the same time passing the lever arm 3| through a selected s1ot'32 or 33 of said supporting bracket means. After being thus entered in the housing chamber 20, the lever arm 3| is swung downward to turn the ballasting weight about its longitudinal axis, whereby to shift the major diameter so that it crosses the passage 30, whereby the weight is caused to rest upon and bridge across the opposed supporting flanges 25 and 28 of the supporting bracket means, and is thereby retained in supported connection with the hull body so as to be carried thereby. When the ballasting weight is thus turned to its supported position, the lever arm 3| will be projected therefrom so as to incline downwardly andv outwardly therefrom, with ,its free end projected below the plane of the foot-pieces 26 and 29 of the supporting bracket means (see Figs. 1 and 2).

Connected between the ballasting weight 2l and some attached part of the hull body is a flexible line or cord 34 for tethering the former to the latter.

In the use and operation of the toy submarine, the hull being empty, and the ballasting weight being supportedly assembled therewith, the same is set afloat upon the surface of the water. Water will thereupon beadmitted to and so as to eventually ll the interior l1 of the hull body, optionally for and in the manners fully described in my aforementioned prior patent application dis closures, the displaced air being vented through the periscope air vent passage i6, or through other suitable vent means. The entering water eventually rises within the hull body interior l1' to the bottom of the air trapping chamber i4 and the lower end of the periscope air vent passage I6, whereby to seal off the chamber i4 and thus trap the air therein so as to provide a buoyant float adapted, when conditions permit, to buoy up the submerged submarine so as to cause the same to rise through the water to the surface thereof, The heft of the ballasting Weight 2l is such, however, that its gravity will overbalance and counteract the buoyant effect of the air trapped within the chamber I4, so long as. said ballasting weight remains in supported connection with the hull body. As a consequence of this, the water admitted into the interior Il of the hull body will cause the toy submarine to dive or submerge, and its submerging descent will rcontinue until the same reaches and touches bottom.

When the toy submarine, upon the conclusion of its dive, reaches bottom, the free end of the lever arm 3l will strike bottom, and as borne against the samev by the settling hull body, will be upswung. Such upswinging movement of the lever arm 3l will rotate the ballasting weight 2l about its longitudinal axis, whereby to bring its major diameter into vertical position, thus removing the ballasting weight from bridging and supported relation to the supporting anges 25 and 28, so that the minor diameter of said weight takes a, horizontal position in said passage 3D (see Fig. 3). Under thesecircumstances the ballasting weight 2l no longer bears down the hull so as to counteract the buoyant effect of the airy trapped within the chamber ligand consequently the latter becomes operative to buoy up and cause the toy submarine to rise through the water and to ascend to the surface, as indicated by full line representation thereof in Fig. 3. As the hull body rises, the ballasting weight passes through the passage 3U of the supporting bracket means 1 so as to be left behind on the bottom. As this occurs, the line or cord 34 pays out from the hull body, whereby to cause the ballasting weight 2| to anchor the risen toy submarine against escape. The line or cord 34 also serves as a means to draw up and recover the ballasting weight from the bottom, when it is desired to obtain the same for reassembly with the hull body, for repeated use and operation of the toy.

As above indicated, the balla-sting weight 2l may be selectively operatively assembled with the hull body in either a forwardly or rearwardly shifted position. When disposed in a forwardly shifted position, as shown in Fig. 1, the weight is set toward the bow, so that the bow will tend to somewhat overbalance the stern of the hull body as the Water enters the interior I1 of the latter, and consequently the toy submarine will tend to submerge in a manner simulating a bow or nose foremost dive. Ihe ballasting weight is retained in such forwardly set position by engagement of its lever arm 3| in the forward slot 32 of the bracket supporting means. When, on the other hand, the weight 2| is disposed in a rearwardly shifted position, it is set further toward the stern so as to substantially balance the center of gravity of the toy submarine at a point midway between the bow and stern thereof, and consequently the toy submarine will tend to submerge in a horizontal or level keel position as the water enters the interior l1 thereof. The ballasting weight is retained in such rearwardly set position by engagement of its lever arm 3| in the rearward slot 33 of the bracket supporting means. It may be here pointed out, that the adjustably shiftable ballasting weight may be utilized merely for its center of gravity regulating effect, with or without the self-releasing effect and attendant hull body raising result.

The flat or horizontal foot-pieces :26 and 29 of the supporting bracket means are additionally useful for service as a stand for support of the toy submarine when removed from the water, and also as skidding supports which will hold the toy upright when used'as a pull toy; and dragged over a floor or other similar surface.

I am aware that various changes can be made in the above described novel features of my toy submarine or the like without departing from the scope of this invention as defined in the herefollowing claims. It is therefore intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a toy submarine of the kind described, a hollow hull body to which water is admissible when it is set afloat, air Venting means com municating with the interior of said hull body, said hull body having at its top portion means to provide an air chamber adapted to buoy said hull body against the weight of water entered therein, a ballasting Weight, said hull body having a downwardly open weight housing chamber at the bottom thereof, said weight having a major diameter and a minor diameter, weight supporting bracket means bordering the sides of said housing chamber, said supporting bracket means being spaced apart to provide a Weight passage of a width slightly larger than the minor diameter of said weight, said weight being disposed with its major diameter across said supporting bracket means whereby to connect the Weight with the hull body, said Weight being turnable about its longitudinal axis whereby to place its minor d1- ameter in a horizontal position within said weight passage so as to permit release of the weight from said hull body, and a lever arm extending from said weight operative, after submergence of the toy submarine, upon contact with the bottom to turn said weight to released position.

2. In a toy submarine as defined in claim 1, a flexible line to provide a tethering connection between said ballasting weight and said hull body.

3. In a toy submarine of the kind described as defined in claim 1 wherein the weight housing chamber is of greater length than the weight so that the latter can be longitudinally adjusted in the former, whereby to shift the center of gravity of the hull body as ballasted by said weight.

4. In a toy submarine of the kind described, a hollow hull body to which water is admissible Iwhen it is set aiioat, air venting means communieating with the interior of said hull Ibody, means to buoy said Ihull body against the weight of water entered therein, a ballasting weight, said hull body having a downwardly open weight housing chamber at the bottom thereof, said weight having a major diameter and a minor diameter, weight supporting means bordering the sides of said housing chamber and laterally spaced to provide a weight passage of avwidth slightly larger than the minor diameter of said weight, said weight being disposed with its major diameter across said supporting means whereby .to connect the weight |with the hull body, said weight being turnable about its longitudinal axis whereby to place its minor diameter in a horizontal position within said Weight passage so as to permit release of the weight from the hull body, and means operative, after swbmergence of REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATESl PATENTS Number Name Date 1,258,862 Bloom Mar. 12, 1918 1,299,465 Henley Apr. 8, 1919 2,405,715

Sabini Aug. 13, 1946 Certificate of Correction recent No. 2,452,495. october 2e, i948.

FREDERICK SABINI It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed speeicetion of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 6, line 42, claim 5, for the claim reference numeral 9 read 4;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 8th day of March, A. D. 1949.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Gommz'asz'oner of Patente. 

